Forced-draft device for locomotive-boilers.



L, DE L. BERG.

FORCED DRAFT DEVICE FOR LOCOMUTIVE BOILERS.

APPLICATION FiLED MAR 9 1914.

LEWKSYQ, Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

A TTORNEY.

/NVENTOR.-

LOUIS DE L ISSA BERG, 0F WATERTOWN, NEW YORK.

FORCED DRAFT DEVICE FOR LOCOMOTIVE-IBOILERS.

Application filed March 9, 1914. Serial No. 823,454.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, Louis on LISSA BERG, of iVatertown, in the county of Jefferson, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Force- Draft Devices for Locomotive-Boilers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in fittings for blower-pipes as applied more paiticularly to steam boilers for locomotives in which steam is commonly employed to produce a forced draft, the steam being admitted from an external source in the initial steaming of the boiler after which the steam from its own boiler is utilized under the control of a suitable valve in the engineers cab.

The fitting forming the subject matter of my present invention, is preferably exposed at the exterior of the boiler where it is usually accessible and 'forms a part of a steam-supply pipe leading from the steam chamber to the boiler and discharging into the smoke stack in a manner well known.

In the initial steaming of the boiler. provision is made for creating a forced draft by steam from an external source through a suitable hose having a coupling for attaching it to. the steam pipe leading to the smoke stacknnd heretofore, when the hose was uncoupled, itbecamenecessary to insert a screw plug or equivalent device in the end of the steam pipe to which the hose was previously coupled to prevent the escape of steam when using steam from the boiler for forced draft. Under these conditions, considerable trouble and inconvenience was caused by failure to close the steam pipe due to the loss or misplacement of the plugs and failure to provide some other plugging device Which would prevent the escape of steam when the engineers valve is opened which would, of course, render the device useless. v

The main object, therefore, of my present invention is to obviate the necessity for using a removable plug or equivalent device by providing a fitting with an automatically operating check-valve capable of closing the port to which the hose is usually coupled by the entrance of steam into the draft-pipe leading to the smoke stack, and at the same Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 111, inlet time leaving said port open for the drainage of any water of condensation which may accumulate in the steam pipe.

Another object is to enable these fitting pipesto be used in connection with any of the established systems of producing a forced draft by the entrance of steam to the stack.

Other objects and uses Will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings-Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a locomotive showing the steam pipe leading to the stack and equipped with my improved fitting and also showing a portion of the hose attached to the fitting for producing initial draft while steam is being generated in the boiler. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the detached fitting. Figs. 3 and l are sectional views taken respectively on lines 3- -3 and H, Fig. 2.

in order that my invention may be clearly understood. I have shown a portion of a. locomotive boiler land a steam pipe 2 leading from the. steam chamber of the boiler to the engineers cab where it is provided with a valve -3 a point where it may be discharged into the smoke stack "l' a portion of the steam pipe at least being external to the boiler and provided with my improved fitting -5.

This fitting is provided with a valve chain- .a,

her 6 having an inlet 7 a branch outlet S and a drainage port 9 normally opening to the atmosphere, the valve chamber 6 serving to receive a ball valve -10 adapted to close against a seat l 1- when steam is admitted to the inlet 7 by the opening of the engineers valve 3' and to normally recede from said Valve by its own weight when no pressure is present in the inlet or when steam is introduced through the drainage port -9 in providing forced draft from an external source of steam supply during the initial firing of the boiler.

The inlet 7 consists of a coupling connecting the steam supply pipe 2to the fitting 5- while the branch passage or nipple -8 is connected to a pipe which is capable of discharging the steam passing through'the pipe --2- into j the smoke stack.

The inlet 7 and dralnage port 9 of the fitting are preferably located 111 the and thence to TF same vertical plane at an angle to the branch passage -8, which latter is located-between the inlet and drainage port and is provided with a series of inwardly projecting lugs -8 spaced apart to reduce the size of the opening to less than the diameter of the ball valve t x-10for preventing the passage of the ball into the branch passage or obstructing of the branch passage by said ball in case it should lodge against the lugs.

The valve chamber 6 is preferably registered with the branch passage 8' and coaxial with the adjacent ends of the inlet and drainage ports so that the valve seat l1 is located between the valve chamber 6- and drainage port and is, of course, of less diameter than that of the valve to allow the latter to effectively close the port and at the same time be free to fall back into the valve chamber when the steam pressure in the pipe -2 leading to the fitting is cut oil. 1

The valve seat is usually formed upon a separate bushing 11- of bronze or equivalent non-corrodible metal. which is tightly fitted in the portion of the fitting between the chamber -6 and drainage portand actually forms a part of said drainage port in 'that it is provided with a lengthwise passage registering therewith.

' The inner end of the coupling -7- is also reduced as to its internal diameter to less than the diameter of the ball valve 10 so that, if desired, it may also be utilized as a valve seat for the valve to check the flow of steam through the pipe -2- in case the valve -3 should be opened, while the steam is being introduced through the fitting into the stack from an external source during the initial steaming of the boiler.

The drainage port --9- is preferably deflected downwardly so as to open at the bottom and is threaded internally at -9- for receiving a suitable coupling on one end of a steam hose 12- having its opposite end connected to an external source of supply of steam, as for example the boiler in the roundhouse where the engine may be stalled during the initial steaming of the boiler. That is, when there is no steam in the boiler 1-, a steam hose or pipe, as -12-, leading from an external source of steam supply may be temporarily coupled to the drainage port -9 for directing steam through the stack l to create a forced draft while the boiler is being fired for the initial direction of steam, during which operation, the valve 3- is supposed to be closed, thereby diverting the steam through the branch port -8- and thence into the stack, it being understood that the valve --10- will be opened either by its own weight or by the pressure of the steam entering the drainage port 9. If, however, the valve 3- should be opened, it is evident that the ball valve --l0-would be forced against the valve seat on the inner end of the coupling --7'.

As soon as the steam in the boiler -1-- reaches a. sufiicient pressure to allow it to be used to produce a forced draft, the hose -12- may be uncoupled from the drainage port -9 and, therefore, withdrawn from the engine, whereupon the valve 3Vmay be opened to allow the passage of the steam from the boiler l into the fitting -5 and thence through the branch passage -'8 into the stack with the effect that the pressureof the steam Will close the valve 10 against its seat 11 and thereby prevent the escape of steam through the port -9-. When the valve 3- is closed after the boiler has acquired the desired steam pressure, the valve -10- will fall away from its seat l1- and thus permit any water, of condensation which may tend to accumulate inthe steam pipe -2- to escape to the atmosphere through the normally open drainage port 9. The open drainage port, therefore, becomes an important feature of my invention in combination with the valve -10- in that the drainage port is always open ready for the-reception of a hose coupling for creating a forced draft from an external source of steam supply with the assurance that when the hose is uncoupled and the steam turned on from the boiler, the valve will always close against the seat -l1- and thereby divert the steam from the boiler to the stack" through the branch passage -8-, or when the steam for the forced draft is out off, the valve will simply recede from its seat and allow any water of condensation to readily escape through the port 9-.

For convenience of description in the claims, the steam supply pipe 2- may be termed the blower pipe having a combined check-valve with automatic drain fitting, while the hose 12- may be termed an auxiliary blow pipe.

The tendency of the blower pipe is to fill with water of condensation which, in winter, freezes and renders the pipe inoperative, while in summer, this water is blown through the smoke stack when the blower valve is opened, resulting in the discharge of offensive gases and the participation of sooty moisture upon by-standers and other objects in the immediate vicinity of the engine, particularly when a forced draft is used while the engine is stopped at stations, whereas, in the use of the drainage port forming one of the features of my invention, this accumulation of water in the blower pipe is prevented and the objectionable results referred to obviated.

What I claim is: V 1

l.' The combination with a locomotive boiler, of a valve case external to the boiler meageaa g5;

and havingseparate steam inlets and an outlet common to both inlets and discharging into the smoke stack of the boiler, and a check-valve controlling both inlets, connections between one inlet and the steam chamber of the boiler, and means for connecting the other inlet-to a separate source of steam supply. 4

2. The combination with a locomotive boiler, of a valve case having separate steam inlets and co-axial valve seats therein, in spaced relation, said valve case having an outlet leading from the space between the valve seats and communicating with the smoke stack of the boiler, a check valve 15 playing between said seats and controlling both inlets, connections between one inlet and the steam chamber of the boiler, and means on the valve case for connecting the other inlet to a separate steam supply con- 20 duit.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of February 1914.

LOUIS DE LISSA BERG.

Witnesses:

ELEANOR T. LAMoN, FRANCIS H. LAMoN. 

